Jack White Asks Elon Musk How ‘That Free Speech Thing‘ Is Working Out After Kanye West Twitter Suspension
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Jack White used social media to confront Elon Musk on Friday (Dec. 2) over Kanye West‘s latest pro-Nazi tweet and the billionaire’s seemingly selective views on free speech.
“So Elon, how’s that ‘free speech’ thing working out?” the rocker wrote on Instagram in a scathing open letter to the controversial new owner of Twitter. “Oh, I see, so you have to CHOOSE who gets free speech and who doesn’t then? What kind of crybaby liberal suspends someone’s free speech?
Hmm….”
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While Ye’s account has once again been suspended, Musk has been a supporter of allowing the rapper to spread his opinions — including antisemitic views — on the platform under the guise of freedom of speech ever since he took over in October.
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White further compared West’s reinstatement on Twitter to Musk’s refusal to allow Alex Jones back on the platform, writing, “Conspiracy liar alex jones doesn’t get ‘free speech’ either? I see. So you’re learning that these folks incite violence and hatred but trump…DOESN’T? Hmmm. Or is it that liar jones, and anti-Semite egomaniac kanye can’t provide tax breaks for billionaires the way the former president could? Or that maybe the controller of this ‘free speech’ is insulted personally? Or that just maybe, there needs to be, oh I don’t know, RULES and REGULATIONS or else you breed chaos?
“It’s nice to watch in real time as you learn that all things need to be regulated, whether that be guns, drugs, alcohol, assembly, or speech because of the danger of someone or something being hurt or destroyed,” he continued. “They’re sometimes called ‘laws.’ And perhaps you’re learning how harmful it can be when you let dangerous, hateful people say whatever they want on your stage.”
The White Stripes alum went on to explain his decision to turn the comments off on his post, saying, “This isn’t a debate forum. This is me talking on my front porch, not debating in town square. I regulate the platforms i control too.”
He then ended the post by urging Musk to “do the right thing…and don’t provide other hate mongers a stage, let them go talk in town square,” before reminding readers, “(And no, twitter isn’t town square owned by the govt., it’s a private company owned by Elon Musk.)”
For his part, White was one of numerous musicians and celebs to leave Twitter in the wake of Musk’s $44 billion takeover, particularly following the businessman’s decision to let former President Donald Trump back onto the social-networking site via a public poll.
Read White’s full statement to Musk below.
